John Fogerty, Revival (Fantasy, 2007)

For those of you young enough to require an introduction, John Fogerty was the voice and lead guitar behind Creedence Clearwater Revival, who still get my vote for the greatest rock band that the United States has produced. The band split up in 1972 on less than amicable terms, and Fogerty had to forfeit the rights to his many classic songs like "Proud Mary" and "Fortunate Son" in order to secure his musical independence. Fogerty resurfaces with new material only periodically, and his new CD Revival is just the seventh album he's recorded in the thirty-five years since Creedence split. It does in fact mark a bit of a revival, in that he has returned to Fantasy Records, Creedence's old label; this was made possible by the fact that the band's former manager no longer has a vested interest in the label.

Fogerty's previous album Deja Vu All Over Again boasted a great song in its title track, a lament about the unfortunate parallels between Vietnam and the present situation in Iraq. Revival may not have a song that good on it, but it's a much more consistent album from top to bottom. The opening song "Don't You Wish It Was True" is a wistful but optimistic look at the way things should be in the world. "Gunslinger" reflects Fogerty's desire to see somebody come in (presumably in the political sense) and clean house. "Creedence Song" tells how Fogerty met his wife -- she was waiting tables at a diner and got his attention by getting one of his songs played on the jukebox. Fogerty also gets a few pointed barbs in at the Bush administration with "Long Cold Night" and "I Can't Take It No More."

The album also rocks a bit harder on the whole than Fogerty's recent efforts, while maintaining Fogerty's very distinct style. The nostalgic "Summer of Love" finds Fogerty cranking the amps up. On the minute-and-a-half "I Can't Take It No More," he evokes both The Ramones and Little Richard to get his point across. The playing of Fogerty and his four-piece backing band is solid throughout, and absolutely no rock singer from the sixties has as maintained the potency of his singing voice to anywhere near the same degree that John Fogerty has.

Revival may not have any classic songs on it, but it's a fun rocking album all the way through. John Fogerty sounds like he's enjoying making music more now than he ever has, and the enthusiasm is definitely contagious on this record.

Overall grade: A-

reviewed by Scott

photo by Annie Wells/Los Angeles Times

Pushing Daisies, ABC Television, Season One

Sometimes a new television show receives tremendous buzz before its release -- and Pushing Daisies deserves it! This show is a breath of fresh air that has remained consistently entertaining as a technicolor fairy tale with romance, adventure, mystery, whimsy, comedy, a sophisticated narrator, and lots of dead bodies.

As a child, young Ned had a crush on his next-door neighbor, young Charlotte "Chuck" Charles. Ned also discovered a special ability: He could bring the dead back to life with a touch! However, this ability had two drawbacks: If he touched the resurrected person again they would die and stay dead, and if he didn't touch them within a minute someone else would die. He learned these lessons the hard way: When Ned brought his mother back to life Chuck's father dropped dead a minute later; and when Ned's resurrected mom kissed him goodnight she flopped back to death. Ned was sent away to school, while Chuck was raised by her aunts Lily Charles (Swoozie Kurtz) and Vivian Charles (Ellen Greene), who had been professional synchronized swimmers until Lily lost an eye while changing a litter box.

On to the present! The grown-up Ned (a delightfully awkward Lee Pace) has become a piemaker at a restaurant called the Piehole, where he resists the frequent advances of waitress Olive Snook (Kristin Chenoweth). Ned also tries to keep his ability a secret, but he was discovered by burly private investigator Emerson Cod (Chi McBride), who came up with a way for them to make money: Emerson finds high-profile murder cases; Ned brings the victim back to life with a touch, finds out who killed them, then touches them again less than a minute later; and they find and catch the criminal and split the reward money. Oh, and Ned lives with his dog -- the first thing he brought back from the dead -- who's still alive and happy even though his master can't pet him.

Things get complicated -- well, more complicated -- when, investigating a big murder on a cruise, Ned finds out the victim was Chuck from his childhood. After Ned brings Chuck (now played by the lovely Anna Friel) back, he can't bear to make her dead again. So now Emerson isn't thrilled to have "the dead girl" always hanging around, Chuck is upset she can't return to her aunts, Olive is incredibly jealous of the new woman in Ned's life, and Ned and Chuck are very much in love -- and she'll die the moment they touch.

Pushing Daisies is like a Tim Burton romantic comedy, with seemingly grim elements being transformed into magic. The cast is absolutely likeable, and the stories manage to be creative week after week. In addition, all of the characters keep growing and surprising us as the show goes on: Olive is still jealous of Chuck but becomes friends with Lily and Vivian; Ned struggles with whether or not to tell Chuck that he caused her father's death; and tough-guy Emerson knits when stressed. The language isn't realistic, but it is consistently clever and amusing ("You seem decidedly unhappy." "I haven't decided anything of the sort yet.")

I cannot recommend this show highly enough. It's consistently intelligent, thoroughly quotable, and tremendously entertaining. Set aside time every Wednesday night for Pushing Daisies.

Overall grade: A+

Reviewed by James Lynch

Sex Sells (1994)

Considering how controversial, silly, serious, and sexual the world of porn is, making a boring comedy about it seems a nigh-impossible feat. Unfortunately, the comedy Sex Sells manages this horrendous feat.

This movie uses the mocumentary format as Bernard Michael Hyman (Jay Michael Ferguson) films and follows around legendary porn director Chuck Steak (Mark DeCarlo) as Chuck creates his latest skin flick from start to finish. All the characters are involved in this latest porno, including "old pro" Roxy Free (Priscilla Barnes) and computer genius and new starlet Purcey Galore (Lisa Jay). And these "funny" character names should give you an idea of the level of sophistication of the movie.

Sex Sells can't even decide on its tone. There are times when it goes for broad comedy, such as a porn star who claims a 42" piece of equipment (which, of course, shoots up and hits the cameraman) or auditions (where women are told it pays $500 a day, while men are told it's $75 a day and they have to provide everything needed themselves). There are times when the movie goes for a "serious" feel, as when the stars consistently manipulate Bernard or talk about tricks of the trade. And the movie also veers into melodrama as secrets are revealed, twisted, and used; when one character comments "It's a frickin' soap opera" all I could think was "ain't that the truth." And none of these elements work: Sex Sells isn't funny, serious, or engaging.

I got this movie when the local video store was closing and Sex Sells was for sale cheaper than it would be to rent. I still feel ripped off. If you want to see a funny movie about porn, go with the great Orgazmo by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Avoid Sex Sells.

Overall grade: F

Reviewed by James Lynch

Blades of Glory (2007)

Blades of Glory is the latest Will Ferrell formula sports parody. I think in the end, I'm simply not much of a fan of Ferrell's peculiar brand of comedy.

The film's premise is that Chazz Michael Michaels (Ferrell), and Jimmy MacElroy (Heder- who I think was dismal in Napoleon Dynamite), both get barred from men's figure skating. From the film's poster, it's not too much of a stretch to figure out what happens next. Yup, the two of them take advantage of some loophole and become an all male couple in pairs skating. Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous, and that's before they head out onto the ice.

The outfits these two wear are seriously deranged, as is much of the dialogue from their mouths as this film progresses. I can't believe some of the lines that are uttered, and not in a good way. Craig T. Nelson plays their coach as he essentially reprises his role from his television series by that name, although this time out it's skating (with practice in a fish freezer no less) and not football. There are also several cameo appearances (maybe that makes it a minor role) of Scott Hamilton playing himself as a sports anchor.

There are a few highlights. When a chase on the streets ensues on ice skates, it was mildly entertaining. Also, the choreography of the final routine, including the infamous "Iron Lotus" did hold my attention. Unfortunately, the rest of it didn't, and as such, I'm going to recommend that unless you are a huge Ferrell fan, I'd leave Blades of Glory on the ice. This is another example of the few decent parts not adding up to a decent film. Then again, Ferrell's latest film, Semi-Pro is following the same formula and due out in February '08 so someone must like this kind of stuff.

Overall Grade: C

Reviewed by Jonas

Secret Honor (1999)

After reading, Honor Bound, and Blood and Honor, it was time to read Secret Honor which concludes the series, well kind of, but we'll get to that in a minute.

You may recall that the Honor Bound series, as the author refers to it, focuses around Clete Frede, and his efforts in the OSS in Argentina during WW II. Those looking for that aspect of the story do get it. We follow Frede, who has gotten Dorotea "in the family way" and needs a shotgun, no make that sooner rather than later, wedding ceremony to make things right. Money talks to the Church, and the usual year of mourning after the death of his father is waived as his family provides significant funds to the local Church. All in all, there was much description of the events leading to the wedding, so I was a surprised, and even disappointed that the ceremony itself was only briefly described.

In fact, only about half of Secret Honor takes place in Argentina. In typical WEB Griffin fashion, after getting us interested in one main character, he then focuses on another one. This time it's Peter, a decorated German officer in Argentina. After he comes under suspect after a German resupply mission goes bad, and he gets ordered back to Germany for an investigation. Interestingly, he really is an Argentinian sympathizer, and he shares his father's goal to assassinate Hitler. Apparently, at least a few German officers felt that the war was not just, saw the concentration camps for the atrocity that they were, and realized that the Axis was going to lose the war when it was all said and done. The two things they did about it were to stash money overseas (which came up in the previous novel), and to plot against their leader.

While Peter is in Germany, we do get some fascinating side trips. One is a trip to Hitler's secret bunker complex, where the decorating was all done with bomb proof cement. I've seen a History Channel segment on this, but it was great to read the author's descriptions as well. The other is a trip to the development facility of the Messerschmitt Me 262, the first jet fighter aircraft. The history of this plane is fascinating, as well as how its potential was not realized early enough during the war. Still, while this airfield makes for an intriguing pit stop, it really doesn't integrate well into the rest of the overall novel, or the series.

At the end of the novel, we kind of just stop. After several years, and no follow up, I think that we should consider the series complete. However, it just doesn't feel like it is. Perhaps the book sales were not as robust as planned, so Griffin turned his attention to more profitable projects. That said, compared to The Corps, or The Brotherhood series, the Honor Bound novels simply do not come together nearly as well as they did. While these novels are interesting, they really don't represent the author's best work. Keeping that in mind, Secret Honor is the weakest novel of the series as well.

Overall Grade: B-

Reviewed by Jonas

J. R. R. Tolkien, The Children of Húrin (Houghton Mifflin, 2007)

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote many volumes of stories about the early history of Middle Earth, of which only a fraction had been published at the time of his death in 1973. His son Christopher, now in his eighties, took control of his writings, and over the years has made much of Tolkien's left-over work available to the public. Most of the short stories concerning elves, men, and higher entities that created the world Tolkien used as the setting for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were compiled by Christopher Tolkien and published as The Silmarillion in 1977, but a handful of stories were long enough to stand alone as novels. One of these stories, The Children of Húrin, has been edited and organized into a presentable format, and was published for the first time in 2007.

The story is set at a time when the power of the evil entity Morgoth, of whom Sauron was a servant, was in ascendancy in Middle Earth. Húrin is a powerful warrior, called into action to lead his men into a great battle against the forces of Morgoth. To say that the battle goes poorly would be a considerable understatement. Húrin survives the battle, but is taken prisoner. He defies Morgoth's torments, but Morgoth curses him by making him see the world through his eyes, including the various misfortunes that beset Húrin's family as he is kept a powerless captive.

From this point, the story focuses on Húrin's son, Túrin. Húrin's first daughter Urwen died young, and his other daughter Niënor does not play a major role until the final few chapters. Like his father, Túrin grows into a formidable warrior of no small repute, but ill fortune follows him everywhere he tries to go. His friends include both elves and humans, but invariably his relationships are twisted into something negative. His bitterest rival and nemesis is the wingless dragon Glaurung, a powerful ally of Morgoth. Glaurung causes much death and destruction to those who would be Túrin's allies, leading to a climactic encounter and the final dramatic revelations.

While Tolkien tried to emulate the heroic Nordic and Anglo-Saxon narratives with The Lord of the Rings, The Children of Húrin owes just as much to classical and Shakespearean tragedy. Pride, envy, and anger regularly affect the actions of Túrin or those around him, with the results invariably proving fatal to somebody. Even Túrin's triumphant moments prove horribly pyrrhic. The characters in this story are all more like Boromir, the good soldier whose desire for power undoes him, than the other members of the Fellowship in The Lord of the Rings whose nobility of spirit makes the defeat of Sauron possible. That Tolkien makes their endeavors less successful is a reflection of the same philosophy which underlies his famous trilogy, namely that you can't overcome great evil in a lasting and meaningful way while still allowing yourself to be influenced by its enticements.

My technical complaint with The Children of Húrin stems from the chapters being titled too explicitly. For example, the chapter called "The Death of Beleg" tells you that Túrin's dearest friend meets his end before you get to read about it. Far too much information is given away in this fashion, and given the nature of the story, any hope by the reader that an upturn in Túrin's fortunes can be sustained is squashed in advance. Otherwise, the writing is pure J. R. R. Tolkien, although you have to be the kind of fan that finds his digressions into elf-lore and the deep history of Middle Earth fascinating to appreciate this book. If you're not familiar with his writings, definitely read The Hobbit and especially The Lord of the Rings first. Tolkien fans who liked The Silmarillion will like this just as much, unless they're overly partial to the "happily ever after" kind of ending.

Overall grade: B+

reviewed by Scott

Daily Living in the Twelfth Century - Urban Tigner Holmes, Jr. (1952)

I'm a fan of the "Daily Living" style of history books; I want to state that up front. When done well, these books capture the feel of a different age in the way that a list of important events, people and cultural trends can not. When done poorly, they are a waste of time, as the author swirls in a morass of speculation and hypothesis. I am pleased to report that Prof. Holmes has done his task well.

Has has chosen as his framing device the journey of Alexander Neckam from London to Paris in 1178 (or thereabouts) and his subsequent years of study in the latter city. The use of this historical person allows Holmes to smoothly show and discuss the things that Neckam might see and do. By choosing a foreigner in Paris, he is able to make comparisons and contrasts to life in London without seeming forced.

Holmes' style is easy and readable, but make no mistake, this is a well-documented piece of work. The references in the text are appropriate and illustrative without being intrusive. The extensive endnotes are available for those who wish to read them, but are not necessary for the reader who is willing to simply accept that Holmes has done his homework. (A tiny quibble about the notes: often the quoted source is Latin, sometimes old French, and a translation is not always included. This is a minor failing, though.)

The book is perhaps not quite as accessible as the current gold standard of "Daily Living" books, the series by Joseph and Francis Gies. At a few points, there is an assumption of at least passing familiarity with medieval history, and the reliance on Latin or French terms rather than a modern English equivalent is almost certainly more accurate but may be a little off-putting for the casual reader. For even an amateur scholar, though, those asides and references are invaluable! Sometimes there is no real modern equivalent, and using one would load it with inappropriate connotations.

Overall, the book is quite a useful addition to the library of a medieval scholar, or aspiring medieval scholar, and a particularly useful addition if one is collecting a shelf of "daily life" sorts of books.

Overall Grade: A-

Roachford, Word of Mouth (Peppermint Jam, 2006)

Twenty years ago, English singer/songwriter/keyboardist Andrew Roachford and his band Roachford nearly changed the world. Well, the idea of combining funk and soul with aggressive hard rock was certainly a good one, and the band executed the idea flawlessly on their self-titled debut album. There was a slight obstacle in their way, though, in the form of formatted radio. The classic opening single "Cuddly Toy (Feel for Me)" turned a few heads (like mine) when the video made MTV, but it was too black for rock radio to pick it up and too rock to crack black radio. Despite favorable press and healthy sales in Europe, Roachford disappeared quickly in the United States. The buzz the band had generated wasn't even enough to get the band's second album Get Ready released in this country. The third album Permanent Shade of Blue did get a release here, but was packaged with a live EP for the price of two compact discs. So only the handful of people who remembered Roachford and still cared enough to fork over $30 for one album of new material heard the album. I suppose this was better than not getting the record released here at all, but it certainly didn't result in a whole lot of chart action. And that was the last time Roachford sold any new music in the United States.

The 1998 album Feel remains Roachford's strongest to date, but the band had begun to disintegrate. While it was always kind of blurry, the distinction between Andrew Roachford the singer and Roachford the musical entity more or less vanished at this point. Feel also marked a change in Roachford's musical direction. While containing the definitive Roachford rocker in "How Could I? (Insecurity)," the album also featured some ballads and an increased reliance on acoustic guitars. After a 2000 compilation The Roachford Files tied up the remaining loose ends, Andrew Roachford returned in 2003 with a scaled-back solo album called Heart of the Matter Vol. 1. Featuring sparse arrangements consisting almost exclusively of Roachford's vocals and keyboards plus a drum machine, this album veered strongly in the direction of contemporary R&B.

I periodically check Roachford's website to find out if something new is going on, and that's how I found out about Word of Mouth. Roachford has brought back the full band sound with a new core of backing musicians. Stylistically, there is a little bit of everything on Word of Mouth, from rock to pop to ballads to hard funk to disco to classic soul. Roachford channels influences as diverse as Marvin Gaye and George Michael, and continues his pattern of taking ideas from many sources and creating something distinct out of it. It may be tough for a given listener to like every track as a result, but Roachford can still be very, very good when he wants to be. "It's Alright" will definitely please fans of the early Roachford sound. The gospel-tinged "Tomorrow" is first-rate soul. "Work It Out" is an impassioned plea for harmony. "Pop Muzak," a collaboration with Turkish-German DJ/producer Mousse T., has a catchy chorus that compels the listener to sing along. The essential funk of "Shake It!" pretty much speaks for itself.

Andrew Roachford has been a lot of things over the course of his career, but he's never been dull. Circumstances have made it difficult to keep up with him -- hell, it would have been impossible without the Internet -- but Word of Mouth proves that he's still worth following twenty years after he first came to my attention.

Overall grade: A-

reviewed by Scott

Wired Science, PBS (2007)

Wired is a monthly magazine that takes an edgy look at the current going ons in the world of science and technology, with a bent towards computers. It also does a good job of making science personal, and showing the good folks that make a living doing this sort of thing.

PBS has a new show this season called Wired Science. It is a weekly news magazine that follows the Wired magazine formula. With interest among today's children in math and science at an all time low compared to the rest of the industrialized world, this is a great idea for a new show.

Each hour long episode is composed of around five stories. Topics have ranged from plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean, to childhood chemistry sets and why today's kids don't use them, to growing organs for transplantation, testing baseballs (see the image to the right) and netbot attacks. Each of the stories is more in depth than would be found if this type of show ever made it to commercial television- and that's a good thing.

One fun segment each week is What's Inside. They show a series of chemicals, and as they get put on the counter, and snippets are told about them (eg, HCl, a really strong acid, or Sodium, an explosive metal etc.), while we as the audience try to guess whatever could all of this go into making. At the end of this short piece, they reveal the item, and it's invariably some common household product, or even food. Ummm, yum!

Overall, this is exactly the type of show that PBS should be making. It is edutainment- a good mix of education and entertainment, suitable for both adults and children alike. Check Wired Science out online with their video snippets, or full strength on Wednesdays at 8 PM, EST.

Overall Grade: B+

Reviewed by Jonas

Emergency: True Stories From the Nation's ERs (1997)

While much of healthcare is a business these days, it is certainly more than that. Much more. Within the walls of any given hospital, on any given day, is birth, life, death, suffering and hope. Probably the part of the hospital that exemplifies this more than anywhere else, all simultaneously, is the Emergency Room (Emergency Department if you wish to be PC).

From the view of the outsider, what goes on in an ER can be likened to controlled chaos. Even for those that work there, it can be a draining experience as they run from one disaster to another patching together the very broken.

It can also be a somewhat mystical experience. In my orientation to medical school, a priest on staff at the hospital welcomed us, and exalted us the "Priests of the new millenium." At first it sounded like blasphemy, but it wasn't. While none of us were putting on a collar, or carrying healing oil for sacraments, we would be trained to deal with many of the same life changing moments that for the past two millenium or so that were the exclusive playground for the priesthood.

With this as a jumping point, the book Emergency!, edited by Dr. Mark Brown seeks to share some of these tales from the Emergency Room. It is a collection of truth stranger than fact stories collected not only from doctors, but also from physician assistants and nurses as well. All the names have been changed, and besides, this was before all of the HIPAA privacy stuff started anyway.

Many of the stories felt familiar. Let's face it, change the location, but people pretty much do the same things everywhere whether its sticking things into orifices that weren't intended as receptacles for anything, illicit drugs, violence, or trauma.

After a while, the stories felt too short, and I wanted them to be a little more developed as many of them were only a paragraph or two and deserved a fuller treatment. It was also wearing to read many of them back to back, kind of like running around the ER for 24 hours straight with pain in your feet, for example.

With some better organization, a more even tone, and better developed stories, Emergency! could be the best thing since "Grey's Anatomy" hit the small screen. As it is, if you want a glimpse into what goes on in an ER, it's worth a quick look.

Overall Grade: B-

Reviewed by Jonas

Zodiac (2007)

With Halloween this week, I turned my armchair towards the really creepy movie, Zodiac. This is the film that tells the story of the Zodiac Killer who had a string of serial murders starting in the late 60's and continuing into the 70's. He taunted investigators with his letters to the newspapers often containing ciphers and other cryptic messages. Zodiac stars Jake Gyllenhall, Mark Ruffalo, and Anthony Edwards.

The film opens in 1968, at what became to be known as the Lake Herman killing. Zodiac shoots two high school students who are at a desolate lover's lane. He then calls the police to tell them where to find the bodies. After his next murder, he sends letters to the local papers and describes details that only the killer would know, along with a substitution cipher. Creepy.

As the film develops, it is mostly formulaic. One seriously creepy murder after another, although this killer, unlike some other serial murders doesn't follow a strict pattern as he uses different methods, and age groups.

Somewhat predictably, as is par for the course in such films, the police are seen as rather inept, and several steps behind the Zodiac Killer as the spree develops, and the bodies pile up. Hampering their efforts is that the murders took place in different counties, and they're not doing a good job of sharing the leads and information that develops. Ruffalo and Edwards ably play two of the detectives on the case.

As this story develops, Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhall), a political cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper becomes rather obsessed with this story. He eventually quits his job to investigate the Zodiac murders full time. His efforts culminate in a published book, Zodiac.

This was a good choice for a creepy Halloween thriller, but it really was only slightly above average. For starters, it's over two and half hours, and it definitely needed some nip and tuck to keep the pace tighter. Maybe we didn't need to portray every murder in such detail? In addition, while there is plenty of tension, it doesn't build like it could have as the story progresses; at times it feels like we're going nowhere fast, and we are. Also, while it is well acted, there is no standout performance here. Finally, Zodiac is kind of a downer, as these folks become obsessed with the killer, and it ruins their lives as they pursue him. Therefore, if you really want a crime thriller then this is a reasonable choice, but I would say that it is good, and not excellent.

Of note, the Zodiac case is still open, and while there was one suspect that seemed likely, forensic evidence using modern DNA analysis did not support him being the killer.

Overall Grade: B

Reviewed by Jonas

Freeway (1996)

If Freeway didn't have two big name stars in it, namely Reese Witherspoon and Keifer Sutherland in it, no one would even look at this movie. Actually, even with the two of them in it, this film is still pretty awful as it tries to be a modern Little Red Riding Hood.

The plot is based on that there is a killer on the I-5 in Southern California (SoCal to those that live out there). Witherspoon is Vanessa Lutz, a troubled teen who can barely read. Her mother is a prostitute. Her father gets high on illicit drugs and molests his daughter. When the police show up, the parents are taken away, and social services is to deal with Vanessa. Before they can, Vanessa sneaks off, and makes a run for it. Before too long, Bob Wolverton (Keifer Sutherland) picks Vanessa up after some car trouble. Surprise, surprise, he turns out to be the I-5 killer. What follows next is contrived violent drama.

I found Freeway to be thoroughly unsatisfying. This is the kind of film that they parody in films like Scary Movie X. If it wasn't for the two notable stars, this film would be forgotten, and even with them, I would still pass this one by.

Overall Grade: D

Reviewed by Jonas

Private Practice, Season One, ABC Television

I've been a big fan of "Grey's Anatomy" from the very beginning, and from the ratings, plenty of others out there also can't wait to find out what will happen next at Seattle Grace Hospital where it rains just about every day. With a dominating hit on Thursday night, the ABC network tried to pull some of those viewers along with an old '70's style spinoff trick, and thus "Private Practice" was born.

One of the characters, Dr. Addison Montgomery, played by Kate Walsh, has a late thirties midlife crisis. She is some superspecialist that does obstetrics, gynecology and neonatal surgery (this is already ridiculous as newborn surgery is done by someone trained in pediatric surgery, not ob). Despite being an academic specialist, she packs her car, and heads south on the Pacific Coast Highway. She meets up with some buddies from medical school, and joins into an atypical medical practice, hence the title of the show.

To say that this practice is atypical is an understatement. They see, at most, like two patients a day, between five doctors. They do far more alternative medicine than mainstream. Each of the doctors is also having relationship issues making feel like a medical remake of the show "Thirtysomething."

In the pilot episode, they decide to do a delivery in the office on an apparently healthy patient. Things progress to the brink of disaster until an emergency C-section is done. It goes way past implausible when the anesthesia used is only acupuncture (no way, from someone who saw an epidural malfunction during a section once, and believe me it wasn't pretty), and the assistant is the desk clerk who just happened to be in midwife school (midwives only do regular deliveries and never operate so he is both unlicensed and unqualified to assist in this situation). Yeah, it's details like this that make no sense to me.

As much as I wanted to like this show, I just can't get into "Private Practice." The pace is way too s-l-o-w, and not enough happens between the never ending commercials. Actually, last week, I watched "The Bionic Woman," on during the same time slot (Wednesday, 9 PM) and it is a better show. For my weekly dose of healthcare based entertainment, I'll stick with "Grey's Anatomy."

Overall Grade: C

Reviewed by Jonas

Treasure (1988)

In my continuing quest to read the entire library of Clive Cussler novels, I took a look at Treasure. It is the follow up novel to Cyclops (which I haven't read; I guess I'm reading the series backwards for unknown reasons). Unlike some later efforts, the author writes solo on this one, which produces a great novel of consistent quality.

The overall plot centers around the ancient Library of Alexandria. Today, the knowledge of our world is found on the internet. Back in the ancient world, this massive library functioned not only as a repository, but also as an institution of learning and research. It housed scrolls and artifacts collected from all the known civilizations and more ancient ones as well. The library was burned in 391 AD as it contained Pagan teachings. Before this tragic event, some scholars believe that they moved a good portion of the library's contents for safekeeping to a new location, but it is unknown to this day where the loot may have ended up. This tale of the lost knowledge of the ancients forms the basis of the novel Treasure.

Cussler starts off with a background story of Julius Venator hiding the loot for the ages. It is buried into a mountain in a far off land. It becomes a mystery for Dirk Pitt and crew to track down where in the world could the Romans have brought it, and is it still safe after sixteen centuries of time passing.

To accomplish this plot, there are several subplots intertwined. It starts with the story to take down an airliner. Then we have a search mission for a Russian sub, and an incidental discovery of a Roman galleon. Then there is a ruse to hijack an ocean liner, and a camouflage job to evade detection. Then there is a daring special forces rescue, complete with a massive shoot out. We do finally make it back to the library, but then there is the issue of the Mexicans invading their neighbor to the north. It's not what you think, as it's just a bunch of unarmed women and children running across the border (Wait a sec, that's not exactly fiction...). Anyway, there is another side plot of a revival of Aztec leadership and culture in Mexico, and a regime change. Is it any wonder it took me a while to read this novel?

Treasure has the same feel as Cussler's later works, which is to say, well developed and polished. What makes this novel unique in the Pitt series is that Dirk's father, the Senator, plays a far greater role this time than in any other novel in the series. Also, Rudi Gunn is right in the thick of things, and not more administrative as in later books.

The Dirk Pitt series of Clive Cussler novels are some of the best adventure fiction out there, and Treasure is definitely above average for the series. The theme of pre-Columbian transoceanic crossings figures into some of Cussler's other works, including Valhalla Rising, Trojan Odyssey, and most recently, Treasure of Khan. The author also does a fine job of explaining why this treasure of the ancients, including early Christian writings and maps showing mineral deposits would still be so relevant in our modern world. After hearing some of how various countries would bicker over ownership of this resource, l think it would be better if it stayed hidden. Even if you don't plan on reading the entire Dirk Pitt series, Treasure is an action packed, first rate adventure novel.

Overall Grade: A

Reviewed by Jonas

Addendum: I still have to read Night Probe and Cyclops for the original series to be completed. Maybe I'll finally figure out where the bathtub with the outboard motor in Dirk's home came from...

For the rest of our Clive Cussler reviews, click here.

10 Items or Less (2006)

While I'm generally a fan of Morgan Freeman's work, 10 Items or Less is simply a dud. He stars opposite Paz Vega in this independent film from the Toronto Film Festival.

The premise is simple. Freeman is a washed up actor that is looking for a comeback in a low budget film. He heads on over to the local supermarket to gather material by watching the store's manager. While there, he takes an interest in the express lane's cashier, Scarlet, played by Vega. He sees that she is a step above the rest in the market, and learns that she is going for an interview at a construction company. The two embark on a limited journey to the local Target for clothes shopping, and a car wash to prepare for the interview. In this theater of the absurd style, we never see the interview or find out what happens.

10 Items or Less is a short 82 minutes, including the closing credits. Add in two extended musical scenes that don't further the story, and you start to realize that the plot is as thin as a college YouTube video. Freeman does a good job, but except for a few short scenes, like when he argues with his driver that he didn't do the opening voice over for the film Titanic, or how affordable the prices are in Target, it doesn't add up to anything in the end. The characters are not changed for the experience, and the audience doesn't get moved anywhere. Overall, the film is about as exciting as watching Freeman pick up his dry cleaning on his daily errands.

With a better screenplay, this film should have been better developed, and provided a more satisfying experience. In its current form, it feels like a half hearted effort, and I would recommend that you express lane this one by. 10 Items or Less either needs to be better developed into a more complete story, or chopped down into a short film, but it's not worth viewing in its current form.

Overall Grade: D

Reviewed by Jonas